This invention relates to a communication apparatus used in an open-air environment and, in particular, to an attaching arrangement of an optical cable case to a container box of the communication apparatus.
Typically, a communication apparatus of this type is attached to an open-wire or aerial communication cable extended between utility poles in a power network. For the purpose of protection against various influences from an open-air environment, the communication apparatus is accommodated in a container box. An optical cable case having a circular or a polygonal section is attached to the container box to accommodate a surplus length of an optical cable or an optical core line conversion cable.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a container box 1 of a communication apparatus is illustrated with an optical cable case 2 attached thereto through a conventional attaching arrangement. Generally, the container box 1 is disposed in a vertical or a horizontal position depending upon a circumstance. A surplus length of an optical cable 10 to be accommodated in the optical cable case 2 is drawn into the optical cable case 2 in one direction with respect to a cable accommodating surface 5' of the optical cable case 2.
After its surplus length is accommodated in the optical cable case 2. an outlet portion of the optical cable 10 is clamped by a cable clamping portion 11 formed in the container box 1. Typically, the optical cable case 2 and the cable clamping portion 11 are individually fixed to the container box 1.
Since the cable clamping portion 11 is fixed in the container box 1, it is difficult to clamp the outlet portion of the optical cable 10 to the cable clamping portion 11.
The above-mentioned conventional attaching arrangement has several disadvantages. At first, the container box 1 can be disposed in the vertical or the horizontal position as described above. Depending upon the position of the container box 1, the cable accommodating surface 5' of the optical cable case 2 is also changed in position because it is fixed to the container box 1. The accommodating operation of the optical cable 10 is difficult when the accommodating surface 5' of the optical cable case 2 is disposed in one position of the vertical and the horizontal positions.
As a second problem, if the container box 1 has a small mounting space for the optical cable case 2, the optical cable case 2 must be removed from the container box 1 in order to accommodate the optical cable 10 in the optical cable case 2. After the optical cable 10 is accommodated, the optical cable case 2 is again mounted in the container box 1. At this time, a part of the optical cable 10 between the optical cable case 2 and the container box 1 may be caught on any peripheral component or pressed by the optical cable case 2 to be damaged.
As a third problem, it is difficult to clamp the optical cable 10 to the cable clamping portion 11 because it is fixed in the container box 1.